New Jersey Man’s Boat Turns Up In Spain Years After Nantucket Accident

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NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — It looks like the tale of this fishing trip wasn’t quite over.

In August 2008, Scott Douglas, of New Jersey, and his brother-in-law were fishing off Nantucket, Mass. in dangerous high seas.

They were thrown from his 26-foot pleasure boat, the Queen Bee, but survived after swimming two hours to shore.

“There were times when both of us didn’t think we were going to make it,” said Douglas. “Everything had to go our way. It was a miracle.”

Because of the treacherous conditions, the Queen Bee was left behind and Douglas thought it was the last time he’d see the boat.

However, it turns out the Queen Bee is still hitting the seas. The boat was found on Jan. 17 just 20 miles off the coast of Spain.

Officials said the boat was intact but rusted and covered in barnacles.

“The Coast Guard’s opinion is it went up north the coast of New England, Canada, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, across the northern Atlantic, Greenland and then eventually getting to Ireland and making a right going down the European coast,” Douglas told 1010 WINS. “It took three and a half years to do that.”

Dr. Don Murphy with the U.S. Coast Guard‘s International Ice Patrol said that a trans-Atlantic drift is rare, but not unheard of.

Douglas said he has no legal right to the boat anymore after reaching a settlement with an insurance company, so it now belongs to the Spanish government.

(credit: Maritime Rescue Coordination Center Madrid, Spain)

“How often does anybody get three incredibly, unbelievable stories all of which are a miracle happening within one story? That just doesn’t happen.” Douglas said. ” We were lucky enough to be saved, and the heck with the boat, but the boat — being a well-made boat — decided that she wanted to be okay too.”